Dick Murray's autobiography, like the man, pulls no punches

"An ounce of honesty is worth a pound of cleverness...." - Gaius Flebitus, Roman Bartender

Have you ever had to deal with death? I have many times, and while it's always unpleasant, I've managed to do whatever had to be done and accept whatever had to be accepted. I've lost my parents, scores of aunts, uncles, cousins and very close friends. And while I'll never get used to it, in self defense, I'm afraid, I've become somewhat callous.

Often we're aware of the impending death of loved ones and either remain in denial or we try to avoid thinking about it or talking about it, especially with the one who is about to depart. And sometimes death is sudden and unexpected, which is a shock but can be easier to deal with over time than trying to act normal and say the right things when in the presence of the afflicted.

Sadly, Carson City may soon be losing a good friend, one who has been on the cutting edge of our local evolution over the past several years, and in his own inimitable way has done everything within his limited power and influence to make things better.

If you regularly read the Appeal, then you know I'm talking about columnist, friend and fellow curmudgeon, Dick Murray, who is also the moderator of the weekly TV show, Carson Crossfire.

About five years ago, Dick was diagnosed with a form of leukemia. The prognosis gave him about five years to live. It's no secret. He devoted one of his columns to it a couple of years ago and mentions it once in awhile in subsequent columns, never crying about it or feeling sorry for himself. But several months ago, he took a turn for the worse and went to UCLA where they put him on a new experimental drug which appeared to put the leukemia in remission.

But as luck would have it, bad luck that is, he more recently developed a malignancy on his vocal cords which requires radiation treatment. But radiation upsets the leukemia drug, again resulting in negative effects on Dick's blood count. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.

But the salty Murray wit prevails and he calmly told his doctors, "You guys had better get together and decide which of these diseases is going to kill me."

Never before have I seen a braver man who is completely reconciled to his fate and ready for whatever happens. His only concerns are his devoted wife, Marie, his kids and his friends. We can talk about it as casually as if we were discussing politics or the weather. He doesn't consider himself a victim. He knows he's had a wonderfully varied and satisfying life against some pretty stiff odds which he managed to overcome.

During the past few weeks, Dick wrote and published his autobiography, of which I have a copy and have read from cover to cover. Why did he do it? Partly as a legacy for his family, which is fairly large, but mostly I think Dick wants to share a life of experiences which are probably much like our own. He pulls no punches. He lays it on the line. This isn't a glossy, pristine autobiography which hides anything. It's the key to the man's refusal to give up and quit!

When you think about it, how often can we find a life story where the main player is a person we know? Most autobiographies are about famous or infamous strangers whose lives are nothing like ours. The more famous they are, the more likely the facts are censored. Yes, there's a great lesson in Dick's book. He takes you on a journey over many obstacles and through it all you see how he managed to develop and maintain a healthy attitude about life and his fellow beings. As with his columns, his unwavering honesty is manifest.

Dick is a man of limited formal education who self-improved himself at every opportunity, and at Hughes Aircraft Co. he retired with the title of Operations Manager of the Human Factors Laboratory. As an aerospace engineer myself, I know this is no small achievement, especially considering that Hughes Aircraft Co. was at that time our most prestigious designer and producer of missile guidance systems.

Dick's book is a 194-page paperback which was produced and printed by the Nevada Appeal and is on sale only at the Appeal. The price is 10 bucks with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Shriner's Hospitals for Children. Just drop by the Appeal and go to the front counter where you'll find Dick's book, "The Life and Times of Richard Arthur Murray," displayed there.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book. It's a win-win opportunity. Let's show Dick how much we appreciate his contributions to our community.

Bob Thomas is a Carson City businessman, local curmudgeon and former member of the Carson City School Board and Nevada State Assembly.